Re: [Plplot-devel] plinit, plend, plinit sequence now works, but I am having second thoughts

[Joao C. <jc...@fe...>]

On Tuesday 10 December 2002 21:42, Alan W. Irwin wrote:
> On Tue, 10 Dec 2002, Joao Cardoso wrote:
=2E..
> > Also, our library does not has a specific entry point to initialize i=
t,
> > and thus it doesn't make much sense to have one to finish using it.
>
> Maurice set this up some time ago.  It has not been well advertised so =
I
> will mention the details again.  plinit (which every initialization of
> plplot must go through) calls pllib_init.  The first call to pllib_init
> initializes the library including memory for the dynamic driver
> infrastructure as well as the memory for libltdl.  Thus, it makes sense=
 to
> have a function (the very last call to libplplot) which releases the me=
mory
> that was allocated as part of the library initialization

In that case, a pllib_end() makes sense! Symmetry is something I like (I'=
m a=20
physicist...).
=46rom your description, pllib_end should release the memory allocated by=
=20
pllib_init. And plend should call pllib_end, as plinit calls pllib_init. =
=20

> > This is a difficult problem to solve, releasing all allocated memory.=
 For
> > example, when one use strdup(), or our plstrdup() version, we might l=
ost
> > the track of the allocated memory -- that's why valgrind reports
> > "definitively lost fragments"
>
> Yes, you would have to be careful.  But a start is to at least release
> the libltdl memory which is easy to do.

Sure. knowing that a pllib_end() exists will encourage us to not loose th=
e=20
track of allocated memory.

> So has a consensus been reached here to use plend for this library memo=
ry
> release task with appropriate plend =3D>plend1 adjustments to the x oct=
ave
> scripts?

OK. But don't you want to accept my idea of a pllib_end()?
I will only commit my changes after AT stabilizes.

Joao

>
> Alan